Yangdup Lama


Yangdup Lama is an Indian mixologist, bartender, entrepreneur, author and is known to be one of India's finest mixologist.

Early life

Lama is the second child born to mother Kamala Lama and father Late Namgal Lama in the village of Gayabari near Kurseong in the hill district of Darjeeling in the North Eastern part of India. He completed Secondary School Certification from Victoria Boys’ School, Kuseong and Senior School Certification from Army Public School Bengdubi.
Lama moved to Kolkata in 1992 to study Hotel Management after completion of which he moved to Delhi in 1995.

Career

Sidecar

Lama is the co-owner of artisanal cocktail bar Sidecar in Greater Kailash, New Delhi in 2018.
In 2020 the William Reed Group ranked Sidecar amongst the top 50 bars in Asia making it the only bar in India to feature in the list.

Cocktails & Dreams/Thirsty Three Hospitality

After serving in Hyatt for four and a half years, Yangdup founded a mobile bar tending service company called Cocktails & Dreams and in September 2003, Cocktails & Dreams/Thirsty Three Hospitality – a bar service and beverage consultancy company. Later he opened a commercial bar called Cocktails & Dreams, Speakeasy in Gurugram and also a bar training and beverage management school by the name Cocktail and Dreams Beverage Studio in Delhi.

Polo Lounge, Hyatt Regency Delhi

Lama joined the Hyatt Regency Delhi as a food and beverage server in the year 1995 where he took to bar tending and worked at the prestigious Polo Lounge bar in the Hotel.

Awards and accolades

Cocktails & Dreams: The Ultimate Indian Cocktail Book